Leo, inhabiting Mihawk's body, set down his quill and turned his head toward her, his golden eyes locking onto her with a cold intensity—a habit he'd adopted to maintain the character's aura. Internally, though, he grinned. Perona was an anomaly in this new path he was carving. After returning from Marineford, sailing alone on his coffin-shaped raft, he'd found her wandering Kuraigana, just as in the canon. But this time, instead of tolerating her presence passively like an indifferent host, Leo saw an opportunity. In a short, calculated conversation, he'd offered her a spot in his crew—an offer she'd accepted with surprising ease, lured by the idea of traveling with the legendary Hawk rather than lingering alone on a haunted island.
"Planning the future," he replied at last, his low, cutting voice masking the excitement bubbling within. He snapped the journal shut with a sharp motion, sliding it into a drawer he locked with a small key. "And you, Perona—what do you want?"
She crossed her arms, floating closer, her umbrella spinning lazily overhead. "Hihihi, just wanted to see if you were still gonna sit here scribbling like a hermit. But since I'm here…" She tilted her head, a smirk playing on her lips. "What about Zoro? You gonna recruit him too? He's training like a lunatic out there, you know. It's like he wants to be you!"
Leo felt a flicker of amusement rise, but he kept Mihawk's face stone-cold. Zoro… The three-sword wielder was another piece of the puzzle he'd decided to handle differently from the canon. As in the original story, Zoro had come to Kuraigana after the war, humbly (or close enough) asking Mihawk to train him. But where the canon Mihawk had agreed with detached reluctance, Leo had seized the chance with unusual earnestness. He saw raw potential in Zoro, a blade to sharpen for a greater future—not just for Luffy, but for his own designs. He'd given him a clear ultimatum: "One year. You've got one year to learn everything I can teach you. After that, I leave, and you're on your own."
"Zoro belongs to another crew already," he told Perona, his voice calm but firm. "The Straw Hats. And even if he didn't…" He paused, a faint smirk ghosting his lips. "That boy has no interest in serving under me. He's a rival, not a subordinate."
Perona shrugged, drifting over to a chair where she plopped down, crossing her legs and resting her umbrella against her shoulder. "Hihihi, a rival, huh? Still, you've got him slaving away out there! This morning, he was fighting those damn monkeys again—nearly lost an arm. You're tough on him, you know."
"He needs to be ready," Mihawk shot back, standing and walking to the window. He parted the heavy curtains, letting in a sliver of grayish light that revealed the distant shapes of the Humandrills—those ape-like creatures that mimicked human fighters. Zoro was out there, his green headband soaked with sweat, his three swords weaving a brutal dance against a swarm of foes. Leo watched for a moment, quietly impressed.
He's improving fast. Faster than in the canon, even. I've pushed him to the brink, and he's rising to it.
"Ready for what?" Perona asked, tilting her head with curiosity. "You keep talking about 'the future,' but you never say anything straight. What's your big plan, Mihawk?"
Leo turned, his golden eyes meeting hers. He knew he couldn't spill everything—not yet. Perona was loyal but impulsive, and he needed to keep his cards close.
"A quest," he said simply, his voice carrying a weight that silenced her mocking tone. "A quest that'll take more than just my blade. I need a crew. And you, Perona, are my second."
She blinked, caught off guard by the gravity of his words, then burst into a shrill laugh. "Hihihi! Me? Are you serious? Me, your second? Hihihi! Wait, wait, I thought you just wanted me to hang around, not be some kind of… right-hand woman!"
Mihawk crossed his arms, his black coat rustling faintly as he leaned against the desk's edge. "Not just a member, Perona," he said, his voice low and deliberate, each word measured to make her think. "You're the first of my nakama. That spot's yours by right."
Perona blinked again, her grin fading as his words sank in. Then, abruptly, she furrowed her brows, crossing her arms in an exaggerated mimicry of his stance. "Hmpf! I just want to be a member!"
Internally, Leo felt a twinge of amusement at her childish reaction, but he kept Mihawk's face impassive, his golden eyes piercing her with studied coldness. "Be my second—or leave this island and wander alone again. Choose."
Her eyes widened, her mouth dropping into an indignant "O." "What?! That's so unfair!" she cried, floating higher as if to underscore her displeasure. "You can't make me pick between being your lackey or getting kicked out! Hihihi, you're such a tyrant, Mihawk!" She crossed her arms even tighter, whipping her head to the side in a theatrical sulk, her cheeks puffing out like a petulant kid's.
Mihawk—or rather, Leo—raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by her dramatics. "Sulk all you like," he said, his voice calm but razor-sharp. "You'll get used to it. This isn't a democracy, Perona. It's my crew, my rules. Stay, and you'll have a place—a big one. Otherwise, the door's right there."
A tense silence settled, broken only by the candles' crackling. Perona, still hovering, flicked a sidelong glance at him, her lips pursed in a pout. She muttered something under her breath—probably an insult—before letting out a loud sigh. "Hmpf… Fine, I'll stay," she grumbled at last, sinking heavily into the chair. "But I'm warning you, if you give me dumb orders, I'll haunt you with my ghosts 'til you cry! Hihihi!"
Leo smirked inwardly.
She's staying. Perfect.
Outwardly, Mihawk gave a curt nod. "Duly noted," he replied simply, then turned back to the window, his mind already drifting elsewhere.
Perona, apparently done sulking, perked up in her chair and tilted her head with curiosity. "So, if I'm your first nakama, who've you got in mind for the rest?" she asked, a mischievous glint returning to her eyes.
Mihawk half-turned, a rare smile tugging at his lips—one Leo couldn't suppress, tinged with his own excitement. "That's a surprise," he said, his low voice carrying an unspoken promise. "You'll see when the time comes."
Perona narrowed her eyes, clearly unsatisfied with the vague answer, but before she could protest further, Mihawk straightened fully. "Enough talk," he said, his tone sharpening with authority. "I'm going to test my young pupil."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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